2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Makes 650 HP

The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is officially the most powerful Corvette ever, as we now have full info on the wild, supercharged LT4 6.2-liter V-8 engine. It’s rated at 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, making the 2015 Z06 more powerful than the V-10-powered, 640-hp SRT Viper and taking over from the old Corvette ZR-1’s 638-hp supercharged V-8 as the highest-output engine ever sold in a General Motors product.

The 6.2L LT4 V-8 is based on the LT1 V-8 in the standard Corvette Stingray, meaning that it uses the same direct-injection, cylinder deactivation, and variable valve timing technologies as its little brother. But the LT4 gains nearly 200 extra horsepower from stronger cylinder heads, lightweight titanium intake valves, lighter steel connecting rods, special aluminum pistons, a stainless steel exhaust manifold, and, last but not least, a 1.7-liter supercharger that can spin at up to 20,000 rpm.

The LT4’s horsepower peak is at 6400 rpm and the torque peak happens at 3600 rpm. GM engineers boast that the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 provides not only much more torque than previous Corvette Z06 and ZR-1 models, but also a more flexible torque curve for better on-demand power at any rpm. To put this power down through the massive rear tires, 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 buyers will choose between a seven-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic with paddle shifters; this is the first time Chevrolet has offered an automatic transmission on any Corvette Z06 model.

The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 now has much more ammo for competing in the horsepower wars, as its whopping 650 hp makes it one of the most powerful cars sold in the U.S. It’s bested only by the 651-hp Ferrari FF, the 662-hp Ford Shelby GT500, the 700-hp Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4, the 730-hp Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, and wild hybrid hypercars including the 887-hp Porsche 918 Spyder, 890-hp McLaren P1, and 963-hp Ferrari LaFerrari.

As such, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 put down some crazy performance numbers at the track. The old ZR1 got from 0-60 in 3.4 seconds and went on to a top speed of 205 mph, so with its increased power, upgraded chassis, and specialized aerodynamic elements, the 2015 Z06 should easily move past these already impressive performance marks.

Another first for the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 will be the new Z06 convertible model that joins the lineup. Expect to see pricing for both Z06 models to command a significant premium over the current 2014 Corvette Stingray models, which start at $53,995 for the coupe and $58,995 for the convertible. We previously estimated a starting price of around $79,000, which falls in line with the previous Z06’s $76,595 sticker considering the 2015 model’s significant upgrades.

The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 will start arriving in dealers in early 2015, so stay tuned for our first drive of this 650-hp track monster sometime this fall.